Belinelli knows he must defend

Marco Belinelli leads the offense as the Spurs host the New York Knicks at the AT&T Center on January 2, 2014.

Marco Belinelli leads the offense as the Spurs host the New York Knicks at the AT&T Center on January 2, 2014.

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Marco Belinelli has given the Spurs a boost on the offensive end, as advertised, but his defense has left something to be desired.

Marco Belinelli has given the Spurs a boost on the offensive end, as advertised, but his defense has left something to be desired.

Photo: Billy Calzada / San Antonio Express-News

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Marco Belinelli zings the ball to Tony Parker after drawing coverage in the second half as the Spurs host the New York Knicks at the AT&T Center on January 2, 2014.

Marco Belinelli zings the ball to Tony Parker after drawing coverage in the second half as the Spurs host the New York Knicks at the AT&T Center on January 2, 2014.

Photo: TOM REEL

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Marco Belinelli, pictured with Spurs captain Tim Duncan, said, “I don't really care about my points or whatever. I think it's all about winning and I'm going to be better on defense.”

Marco Belinelli, pictured with Spurs captain Tim Duncan, said, “I don't really care about my points or whatever. I think it's all about winning and I'm going to be better on defense.”

Photo: Billy Calzada / San Antonio Express-News

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San Antonio Spurs' Marco Belinelli (3) hits on a three-point short as Brandan Wright of the Dallas Mavericks defends during second-half NBA action at the AT&T Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. The Spurs won, 120-90. less

San Antonio Spurs' Marco Belinelli (3) hits on a three-point short as Brandan Wright of the Dallas Mavericks defends during second-half NBA action at the AT&T Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. The Spurs ... more

Photo: Billy Calzada, San Antonio Express-News

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Marco Belinelli of the San Antonio Spurs (3) shoots as the Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki (41) watches during second-half NBA action at the AT&T Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014.

Marco Belinelli of the San Antonio Spurs (3) shoots as the Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki (41) watches during second-half NBA action at the AT&T Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014.

Photo: Billy Calzada, San Antonio Express-News

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Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs congratulates teammate Marco Belinelli during a time out of team's 112-90 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at the AT&T Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. Belinelli scored 17 points in the game. less

Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs congratulates teammate Marco Belinelli during a time out of team's 112-90 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at the AT&T Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. Belinelli ... more

Photo: Billy Calzada, San Antonio Express-News

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Marco Belinelli zings the ball to Tony Parker after drawing coverage in the second half as the Spurs host the New York Knicks at the AT&T Center on January 2, 2014.

Marco Belinelli zings the ball to Tony Parker after drawing coverage in the second half as the Spurs host the New York Knicks at the AT&T Center on January 2, 2014.

Belinelli knows he must defend

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SAN ANTONIO — Forty-eight hours after the most prolific scoring game of his NBA life, Spurs guard Marco Belinelli stood up after practice and vowed to be better.

Two nights before, Belinelli had scored 32 points against the New York Knicks, pumping in big shot after big shot down the stretch to keep the Spurs in the game.

Yet New York won that Jan. 4 game 105-101, and Belinelli blamed himself, citing a handful of defensive busts that allowed the Knicks' Iman Shumpert to enjoy a career night of his own.

“I'm really pissed off now, because the last game I made some big mistakes and maybe they cost us the game,” Belinelli said two days later.

Through the season's first 36 games, Belinelli has been everything the Spurs thought they were getting when they signed the 27-year-old Italian to a two-year, $5.5 million deal in July.

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Belinelli has been a shooting star, averaging 10.8 points, hitting an NBA-leading 50.4 percent of his 3-pointers, and starting 10 of the past 12 games at shooting guard in place of Danny Green.

Still, coach Gregg Popovich wants more.

“If I can get him to play some defense, it would be even better,” Popovich said.

As the season creeps along, Belinelli acknowledges that to earn a meaningful spot in coach Popovich's eventual playoff plans, he must first earn his trust on defense.

After Belinelli went Vesuvius against New York, making 12 of 16 shots and a career-best 6 of 9 from beyond the arc, Popovich's postgame appraisal of his performance was telling in what was left unsaid.

“He played well offensively,” Popovich said.

Asked at times to help double-team Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, Belinelli often lost track of his primary assignment, Shumpert. As a result, a player who came into the game averaging a little better than six points per game exploded for 27.

It was Belinelli who whiffed on a box-out of Shumpert with 23.4 seconds to go, clearing the way for a putback that gave the Knicks the game in what remains the Spurs' lone loss since Christmas Day.

To his credit, Belinelli understands Popovich's willingness to play him in tough spots in games that count will depend heavily on his work at the defensive end.

“I don't really care about my points or whatever,” Belinelli said. “I think it's all about winning and I'm going to be better on defense.”

This season isn't the first time Belinelli has had a coach stress the value of playing defense. He played 2012-13 in Chicago, where Tom Thibodeau runs his program with an ironclad dictum: Play 'D,' or don't play at all.

Belinelli was hardly a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with the Bulls but worked hard enough at that end that Thibodeau lobbied management to keep him during the offseason.

“I think that's why I am here right now,” Belinelli said of his season under Thibodeau. “I know I have to be a better player on defense.”

Belinelli's teammates believe improvement can only come with more games in the Spurs' system.

“He just needs to play more,” guard Manu Ginobili said. “Sometimes Pop runs plays that we haven't practiced as much. Marco has only been here for a couple of months, so we have to help him out. It's normal.”

Popovich appreciates Belinelli's eagerness to please as a defender, even if the results haven't always been satisfactory.

“He wants to win and wants to compete,” Popovich said. “He wants to learn the system. He's very willing. He's not recalcitrant or anything like that.”

Belinelli's commitment to playing better defense is both commendable and mandatory.

For now, Popovich has been forgiving of his new arrival's occasional defensive lapses. Come playoff time, he might not be so patient.